“The Gift That Keeps On Giving
FELLOWSHIP”
By Bob Heirtzler
December 27th,
2009
Click here to download printable sermon
notes in pdf format.
The sermon that
Ken Avellino taught reminded me of when Pastor Davis said, “If God can
keep you
for one day, He can keep you for the rest of your life”
God has given us a Gift of fellowship with
each other & with God We
all need
fellowship: It’s
good for us, it makes
us strong, it gives us a chance to talk things out, etc.
One
time I was
fishing at McHenry and I told God that I didn't want to talk to anyone
at the
Fishing Spot. I
really wanted to be left
alone, and as soon as I got there, I had so many people that just
walked up and
started talking to me; I left there more refreshed than when I got
there.
From
Jeff Lynch’s
Message ….
Matthew
28:19
Go ye therefore, …
I
am emphasizing the word “GO”
Acts
2:37 – 47
.…And
they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine…
They
continued steadfastly until
this day – December 27, 2009
-
Continuing
Steadfastly – kept
on course - moved
forward
-
Breaking of
Bread –Bible studies
-
Continuing
Daily – checking on each other
-
House to
House – getting together outside of the times on Sundays &
Wednesdays.
-
Results were
- God added to the church daily
Breaking of Bread
Jesus
spoke that He was the Bread of Life.
John
6:32 – 35
…I am
the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger…
We
serve
communion: The
bread is the remembrance
of the body, the cup is the remembrance of His blood.
Breaking of the Bread is sharing the Word of
God, encouraging one another, praying for one another, teaching one
another,
fellowshipping one with another, etc…
When
Mike asked for the word of the day - I quoted John
1:1.
Jesus gave us a GIFT to
share with each other, and that gift
is the Breaking of the Bread.
“Breaking bread from house to house,” in
other words, having
fellowship with one another.
2
Corinthians 8:1 – 6
…Praying us
with much entreaty that we would receive the gift…
Receive
the
gift? What was the
gift? It was the
Fellowship of the Ministering to
the Saints. God
gave us something to
give to others. Remember
the woman at
the well? Jesus
promised her a drink
that she would not thirst anymore, but everyday is a new day, we need
our daily
bread (Lord’s Prayer)
- local coffee shop, gas station,
grocery store, etc. Just
saying a kind
word, or a greeting could equal to giving a drink from God. I say good morning to
people, and it’s not a
habit. I go in to
work 30 minutes early
to talk to people. How
do we have
fellowship one with another? Just
as an
example, I can call Andy, and say, “Let’s head out for coffee, and who
else can
we call?” What is
the Gift that we have?
It is the Fellowship of the Ministering to the Saints.
God Wants Us to Be Likeminded.
Philippians
2:1 – 3
…Fulfil
ye my joy, that ye be likeminded...
We
need to be
Likeminded: To have
the same love, and
one accord of one mind.
What? We as the Body of Christ need to
speak the same thing,
How?
Fellowship one with
another
When?
As often as we can!!
Yes, we live
busy lives; we need to put in our schedule:
Fellowship Time -- around the kitchen table,
dining table, coffee shop,
and etc…..
Why? we need to stay strong in GOD
Where? it can be anywhere, for example,
instead of going thru the drive thru, go inside.
IF
YOU ARE SEEKING…. GOD WILL PROVIDE THE DOORS
Then
we can say….
1
John 1:3 – 7
…ye
also may have fellowship with us...
There
is a
strong growth happening here at Christian Fellowship Great Lakes; it is
not the
numbers of new people coming in only, it is the growth that is coming
from
within. I have
learned more about the
family of God in the last 6 months than in all the previous years that
I have
known them. There
has been an explosion
of fellowship opportunities that has happened in 2009.
The
Fishing Trip
at the McHenry Dam – there were so many connections that came from that.
Coffee
Shop gathering on a weekly
basis
Board
Game
Nights – My friend from work came to one of those and then didn’t want
to leave
Football
Nights
Headline
Talk -
Birthday
Parties: 100 people
= 100 birthdays. There
are at least two people turning 40 this
coming year.
Tuesday
Night Wings
Wednesday
Bible
Studies – there is a tremendous growth happening when we sit down and
break
bread.
WE
NEED TO TALK
IT UP AND BE EXCITED ABOUT IT! This
will
cause others to get involved.
EVERY
BODY IS WELCOME TO COME TO
THE OUTING… share about this
What
is going to
HAPPEN in 2010? 2010
vision – Kenneth
wanted us to have “Clear Direction” We
already have the ball rolling in 2009, let’s keep it rolling… Who will step up to the
plate, and help out
Ken & Jennifer? They
are not here to
see this fall; They are here to see it GROW!
We are all in this together.
We
are not an “I” church or fellowship.
We
are a FAMILY! What
types of family
outing or get together we will do in 2010.
We need to create the functions. There are 12 months in a
year: If groups of
a few people each take a month
in 2010, come up with activities that support our ministries goals: Evangelize,
Educate, and Equip, just imagine
what we could accomplish! Who
is willing
to step up and coordinate it?
We all
can, just communicate with Brother Kenneth and Jennifer. It doesn’t have to be
expensive. Are we
all willing to HELP give the gift that
keeps on giving? The
more you give the
more you’re giving, and the more you are giving Pastor
Lantis taught in a message once, “We
cannot out give God; the more we give the more we get.”
We should have a ministry within the ministry.
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1 Tim 6:12 Fight
the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art
also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.
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2 Tim. 4:5 But
watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an
evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry
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Heb. 12:1 Wherefore
seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses,
let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset
us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us
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Mat. 5:16 Let your
light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and
glorify your Father which is in heaven.
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Eph 4:4-6 There is
one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your
calling; 5One
Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6One God
and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
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Gal 5:21 If we live
in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
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Phil 1:27 Only let
your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether
I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that
ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the
faith of the gospel
Titus 2: 1 But
speak thou the things which become sound doctrine
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Rom 8:38-39 For I
am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor
principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39Nor
height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us
from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
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2 Tim 4:2 Preach
the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort
with all longsuffering and doctrine
Does God have to
check our schedule to open a door to share?
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Prayer
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There was something that
was spoken from God to our ministry
many years ago, it talked about a great people and a strong; there hath
not
been ever the like, neither shall be any more after it, even to the
years of
many generations.
Joel
2:1-11
…A fire devoureth
before them; and behind them a flame burneth…
Sermon notes by Pete Shepherd
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